What are the most promising areas in biomedical engineering for future careers?

[BBMauro]

Hello!

I'm a 3rd year biomedical engineering student, and I'm supposed to choose an area of interest in order to specialize.

I'm interested in a significantly broad range of areas, such as radiology, MRI imaging, cardiovascular assist devices, genetic therapy, neuro-cumputational applications, medical robotics, nanotechnology, among others.

My main questions are what are the most advancing areas nowadays, which areas constitute a secure investment in therms of job guaranties after finishing the course and what areas are more economically appealing. What is your advice concerning these matters?

I thank in advance to every contributions.

 

[rouvem]

Well you should first start from the career or job. What jobs are YOU looking for, which ones are more abundant in your area, but also with which emphasis area you are most happiest with. I also think that some emphasis in medical design or bioinstrumentation would be a good idea, generally, because they take a lot of electrical engineering classes. I've heard that lots of companies like EE's so maybe some background in it will help (but in other cases probably not). But then again I'm no expert and am not even an engineering student, so do whatever you discover is the best and whatever you want.

 

[rouvem]

Anyone else want to bump this thread?

 

[solitude]

Anyone else want to bump this thread?

Sure do! Similar person with a similar problem here.

 

[Highway]

what do you want to do? most bioEs i know had to go for a phd / med school due to lack of a job market. . .

 

[Choppy]

It's difficult to say over the next twenty years or so which particular subfields will be the most fruitful in terms of research and development or career security. In general we know the population is aging and the demands for healthcare will increase and so biomedical engineering as a field that feeds into that will be reasonably secure.

I personally predict that you'll see a lot more imaging done over the next twenty years with MRI leading the way. That being said, to my knowledge you don't need a PhD BME MRI specialist on hand to conduct regular MRI scans.

Career stability comes with your degree of separation from the clinic. The more the clinic needs you for day-to-day operations, the more secure your job. So if you were to aim for a professional position as a medical physicist specialising in MRI, the job stability and income are going to be much better than a purely academic position working on potentially more exciting research.